


#TeamKastle: Part Deux

by UnitedKingdomOrgy



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Karen & Trish are besties, Trish attempts to talk sense into Karen, Trish is the drunken voice of reason here, Trish points out what is obvious to everyone else but Karen and Frank, Wine Pals, fluffy gal pal ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 11:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13762815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnitedKingdomOrgy/pseuds/UnitedKingdomOrgy
Summary: Companion piece to#TeamKastlein  which Trish Walker happily (albeit drunkenly) joins Team Kastle.





	#TeamKastle: Part Deux

“Just a sec.” a woman’s voice came from behind the door labelled 1904. An electronic whirr came from the door and it unlocked, Trish opened the door, “Hey girl.” 

 

Karen gave her new friend a hug as she walked through the threshold into her apartment, “Hey. How have you been lately?” Karen asked pulling her coat off and hanging it on the coat rack.

 

Trish sighed walking over to the kitchen counter grabbing the bottle of wine. 

 

“That bad huh?” Karen laughed.

 

“Yeah work has been stressful and honestly I wanted to unwind with someone who doesn't have a super powered liver like Jess does.” Trish grabbed two wine glasses from her cabinet while Karen sat down at the bar.

 

“If I didn't know her, I would swear that was her super power.” Karen pointed out laughing. Trish pulled the cork out of the wine, “As far as she cares, it is.” Trish started to pour.

 

The women clinked their wine glasses together in a cheers to better days. “So,” Karen took a sip, “What's so bad that calls for 1pm drinking?”

 

Trish came around the counter and took a seat at the bar next to Karen. “Well between work and Jess with all of her things, I don't really have time for a social life you know? And even before all of this, dating was still hard, now its a little harder. I guess its because now I judge guys on a different standard. Like I have seen and heard all these incredible things about people with abilities and I find myself on a date with a guy asking, ‘What do I think this person would be like with abilities? Would this person use them for good? To use them to try and make a difference?’ Like I see Luke and Danny trying to make a difference and I’m over here like, wow I really want someone like that but at the same time I feel like I shouldn't because I should be with and want someone who is just like me, a plain old human ya know? Its all these questions and existential theories racking my brain when I should just be trying to enjoy dinner with this guy I just met.” Trish huffed, “You know what I mean?” She took a sip and looked at Karen who was looking at her like she was crazy.

 

“Yeah totally.” Karen nodded her head and took a sip of wine before the two of them busted out laughing. “No I do get what you are trying to say. Dating in general now has a whole new sub-category added to it. You have to filled out a survey, questionnaire, print out bank statements and personal police reports before you even have your first date.” 

 

“Exactly, you have no idea who or what you are getting into bed with.” Trish finished her wine and poured herself another glass, “So my ramblings aside, how are you doing? Hows the paper?”

 

“It’s good. I’m good. Ellison has been throwing more and more puff pieces at me trying to make sure I don't stick my nose into some crime story and get myself kidnapped.” Karen thumbed the stem of her glass.

 

“Again. You forgot that part.” Trish added with a laugh.

 

“Yes… again.”Karen glared at her friend, “Its not my fault that I am really good at what I do.”

 

“Oh no, I know. Trust me I have had my fair share of kidnappings. It comes with the job description as well as the side benefit of being related to my sister. I mean what is it about us that just makes us so kidnapable? Is it because we are strong intelligent blonde women?” Trish’s brow furrowed in thought.

 

“That seems like a pretty solid reason as well as because of the company we keep.” Karen finished off her wine.

 

Trish got up and went to the cabinet and pulled out a boxes of chocolate chip cookies. “I feel like we need these to go with our wine.” Karen nodded in agreement.

 

“So… anything going on with you in the dating department? Had any good dates?” Trish pried. She was hoping Karen was having better luck than her.

 

“No not really. Haven't really been in the mood to date anyone. I mean Matt was my last actual boyfriend I guess you could say; even though we only had one date and we never slept together.” Karen looked down at her feet at the memory of Matt. She did miss him alot and she often thinks about how different things might have been if they were able to really give things a chance.

 

“And there's been no one after him?”

 

Karen poured  _ alot _ more wine in her glass and grabbed a few cookies to put in her mouth. With a mouth full, she just shook her head ‘no’. However, Trish squinted at Karen peering into her soul, knowing full well that she was lying to both her as well as herself. “I call bullshit.”

 

Karen almost choked on her cookies, “I’m serious Trish.” 

 

Trish gave her friend a dead straight stare, “That maybe what you lie to yourself about in the mirror but you are talking to me now and I call bullshit. There is someone in your life and for whatever reason, either you are unsure about it or he is, you are trying to brush it off like its nothing when it's obviously something. So fess up, who is he?”

 

The room was quiet for a long time. Karen contemplated telling Trish about her and Frank. It's not like she really has anyone who she can talk to about it and out of everyone on earth that she could talk to that may understand it would be Trish. So Karen decided, She chugged all of her remaining wine and took a deep breath, “Frank Castle.” She sighed deeply like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

 

Trish’s mouth dropped open a little and her eyes widened a bit, “The Punisher??” Her hand came to her face, almost covering her mouth.

 

“Yup, the very same.” Karen shoved two cookies in her mouth, she was starting to regret this.

 

“Wow Karen. I didn't even know you guys knew each other! Wow. What's he like?” Trish started to lay on the questions, she needed to know everything. 

 

Karen gave a half hearted smile. She was happy that this was Trish’s reaction.  _ Maybe _ , she thought,  _ this wasn't such a bad idea after all.  _ “Yeah. We actually met under some pretty unusual circumstances after he tried to kill me, well he wasn't trying to kill me he was trying to kill a client of Matt and Foggy's when they still had Nelson & Murdock.” So Karen continued on telling Trish everything about their unusual partnership and eventual friendship. It was so relieving for her, like she was unloading this burden that someone else could help her carry.

 

Trish listened intently, asking many questions along the way trying to understand everything she could. It was becoming very clear, very fast that Karen was head over heels for Frank Castle and by the way she describes his actions towards her, Trish would bet a million dollars that he felt the same way.

 

“He’s intense, very commanding and dark but at the same time he is thoughtful, caring and funny.” Karen smiled more and more the more she talked about Frank. Trish looked at her in awe, “Who knew The Punisher could be so charming?” She remarked.

 

“See that's the thing, all the people who know the real Frank Castle, the one I know, are dead and gone. Everyone thinks hes this vicious killer of killers like that's all he thinks about and lives for but its not. Sure that's one side of him but there's a decent loving man underneath that white skull on his chest.”

 

Trish put her hand to her chin, “Sounds to me like you love him.” she finally said it, the thing Karen had been avoiding for ages.

 

Karen turned beat red, “Sounds to me like you have had one glass too many.” She deflected the very true statement.

 

“Come on Karen admit it. You are hopelessly in love with this guy. Despite what everything and everyone in the world thinks, you see the man and not the monster. That's when you know it's real, when you can accept someone for all they are, angels and demons alike. I should know, that's how it is with me and Jess after all.” Trish made a point.

“Yeah but Jessica is your sister.” Karen attempted to argue knowing that she was arguing a losing battle.

 

“Doesn't matter whether she is my sister or not. Love is love no matter what or who it is.” And just like that Trish Walker won the battle.

 

Karen sighed and conceded defeat. 

 

‘ _ 99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer take one down pass it around 98 bottles of beer on the wall _ ’ Trish’s phone began ringing with Jessica Jones signature ringtone.

 

“Hey Jess. Nothing really just enjoying a drink or three with Karen.” She mimed that she would be right back as she excused herself into her bedroom. While she was gone Karen looked at the photo gallery in her phone to the only picture she had of Frank. It was a semi-dark picture of him fast asleep on her couch from 4 months ago. He looked so peaceful that she couldn't help but snap a photo and she was glad she did.

 

“Sorry about that. Jess needed a phone number of one of my contacts at work.” She sat back down at the counter, “So when was the last time you saw him?”

 

“It's been about 3 months now.” She said with disappointment in her voice. “He kind of comes and goes as he sees fit when things are calm and no one is out to get him. He tries to keep that away from me as much as he can.”

 

“So you don't know where he is or if he is even alive right now?” Trish cocked her head to the side confuzed.

 

“I know he's alive, just don't know where he is. If he was dead David would tell me.”

 

“Whose David?” 

 

“A friend of his that helps him out. He and Frank have a very odd relationship, very Ozzie and Harriet if you would believe it. Frank has him keep an eye on me when he's not around. He has a wife and kids too. Actually his wife Sarah texted me today asking me to lunch sometime.”

 

“Sounds like Frank really cares for you.” Trish was now 100% sure that Frank felt the same way about Karen as she did about him.

 

“You think so?” Karen dared to ask.

 

“Oh yeah for sure. I mean you really don't know? I mean have you guys ever even talked about it? Or hell have you guys slept together?” Now she was diving into the really intimate details.

 

Karen began to go red again, “No.” She started to stammer her words at the thought of her and Frank sleeping together. “We’ve never even kissed. Sure we’ve hugged plenty and he kissed me on the cheek a few times but that's really the extent of anything physically intimate.”

 

“OH COME ON.” Trish slapped her hand on the counter, “You have got to be kidding me. Like I can feel the sexual tension between you two just from the way you are talking about him and you mean to sit there and tell me you guys have never done anything. That, that right there is a crime. That is something you should write about as your next crime editorial, “The Crimes of Non-Intimacy about Karen Page written by Karen Page.” You would win a Pulitzer for sure.”

 

Karen buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment, “You are a horrible person.”

 

“Yeah well I did learn from the best teachers around, my mother and my sister.” Trish raised her glass to them in a toast. She finished off the rest of the bottle of wine when she came to a decision, “That's it. You are going to do whatever you can to get ahold of him and tell him. Tell him everything you told me, lay it all out on the table and after you guys finally have sex, call me and tell me every single detail.”

 

“That sounds like an awful idea.” Karen replied flatly.

 

“Nope, nuh-uh, you are going to do it. You call that David guys wife and you have her tell her husband to find Frank and tell him you really need to see him, and when he shows up just do it, and then  _ do it.”  _ At this point it was clear that Trish was fairly buzzed but Karen was also feeling a little buzzed.

 

Karen tapped her phone on the counter, contemplating. “Come on, do it.” Trish cheered her on, “Do it, do it, do it!” Karen swiped her thumb over the lock screen, pulled up Sarah’s message, and started to text a response.

 

“Yes!” Trish threw her arm up in victory and spun around in her barstool. “This calls for a celebration!”

 

\----

 

Later on Jessica arrived home at her sisters apartment to find Karen and Trish passed out on the couch surrounded by two empty bottles of wine and 3 empty boxes of chocolate chip cookies. She looked up at the clock taking note that it was only 5pm, “And you think I’m the alcoholic.”

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't even mean to make a sequel but bam, here it is. Honestly this may end up becoming a series if enough people like it.


End file.
